Aaron Levine is an Ohio-based designer and menswear legend. He was described in Esquire as “a menswear Rick Rubin”, you might have seen his style on Instagram or featured in New York Magazine earlier this year. He has been the mind behind the revitalization efforts of several iconic fashion brands, formerly working as Senior Vice President for Abercrombie & Fitch and Club Monaco. He is not your typical fashion influencer, aside from his great ‘fits he is often sharing personal and earnest tidbits from his life, and his recommendations below follow suit. Lucky for us, Aaron is here to tell us what he’s been into.
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I’m a hoarder when it comes to clothing. I have about 50 bins in the basement and an overflowing closet. I dont like to hoard for the sake of hoarding. It’s what i do for a living so i can use that as a soft excuse.Ever since i was a kid, ive loved seeing how different fabrics and textures work off one another. I know it sounds cheesy, but i truly look at it as an art form. Like a painting and sculpture mixed together.I’m a floor worker. Whether im at home or in an office, I’ll start entire collections by just laying things down on the floor and see what works off what. I can be color, fabrication, texture…synthetic fabric off organic fabric, something dressy off something messy…it allows me to see the balance and recognize the direction id like to take on a project.Sometimes doing this exercise dictates the direction to me…something will click and everything will become crystal clear.
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I buy most of my stuff on eBay.I dont look at specific sellers, i look for specific things.I can get pretty close to exactly what im looking for…whether it’s tailored, workwear, and old ll bean shirt, well loved old dress trousers…you can find anything. Sometimes, something shows up and it’s just amazing. I’m not a gambler, but this is a way to scratch that itch?Ive eaten it on a bunch, but im getting better.
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I dont know what it’s like to not be neuro divergent.It manifests in ways that are…inconvenient. Anti social, stand-offish, scattered, frsutrated, over explaining, self doubting, perfection paralysis…et al.One of the reasons I love what I do is because I can actually show people what I’m thinking…through images, fabrics, product…things that are tangible and tactile and the conversation becomes much easier.There’s a block in my brain in which the words are in my head, but the ability to communicate them is hard to get out of my mouth.I have to work on this every single day to keep the non ideal aspects of this at bay. I’ve been responsible for large teams and have worked within publicly traded companies for 20 years, so the ability to communicate clearly with concise intentions is vital.These are all things associated with ADD, but the understanding of this by people that don’t experience it first hand is minimal. It’s not about being scattered or flakey. It’s so much more deeply complex.Simple tasks to most people present themselves as heavy left obstacles to me.Every day, it takes monumental effort to pull up and put my game face on. However, the upside to how my brain operates (I can’t speak for others) is that I get incredibly plugged into what I’m passionate about.I’m so fortunate and grateful to have found that outlet in a creative field that brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment…and I get to work with amazing people who are equally passionate.So whoever is out there that experiences this…I see you and I feel you.Get up. Brush your teeth. Get dressed. Regularly push yourself outside your comfort zone and follow your inner compass because it will tell you deep in your guts what you’re capable of doing.Also, a dog is wonderful at soothing this condition.
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I’m super smell sensitive. Ive worn the same fragrance for almost 20 years. Santa Maria novellas patchouli. Just recently a friend, Todd nickey of nickey kehoe sent me some of what hes been working one. They were both great but his brand Bernards cleome parfum ol bijou was so good. So now i put that on first and the patchouli on top. I love the mix.
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Because of my add sitting down to read is sometimes rough. I love audible. I’m always working on several books at a time on there…so good for my mind. Currently its:Undaunted courage, which is the story of Lewis and Clarkdune by frank herbertCarl sagans cosmosElectric kool acid acid test by Tom WolfeZen golf by dr Joseph parentAnd cormac mccarthys blood meridian
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A friend of mine took a pic of me at a dead show at the gorge last summer and i was wild out of control. I needed to get my act together.I started eating right…not dieting…just making smarter decisions.I got back to the gym.I walk my dog three and a half miles a day wearing a weighted rucksack.Changed my life.I feel so much better and what it does to calm my mind is invaluable.
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I love windscreen time. It’s therpeutic. I live on a farm in ohio but do a lot of work in New York.Sometimes I’ll drive. I listen to books. I treat myself to a two cheeseburger meal at McDonald’s.I have a little air cooled 911 and planning a 2500 mile road trip in it to a friends wedding in July. There’s something about bonding with a machine that I love. I love the smell of oil and gas and manually rowing through gears on beautiful byways. Stress drops away and it’s meditative for me.
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I grew up in a Beatles, Willie Nelson, three tenors house.When i was 12 or so, my friend up the street put me on. The ramones. Violent femmes. corrosion of conformity. Metallica. DRI. Minor threat.Across the street, my other friends older bother tuned me into the smiths, the cure, bauhaus. Joy division and new order…echo and the bunnymen…In college i found the dead.All of this is a soundtrack to my life. I cant live without constantly listening to music. It’s means so much to me to music to whatever im doing. It makes living a joyful experience.
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